


Woodward

by glyph_of_wolves



Category: Original Work
Genre: Celtic Mythology & Folklore, Child Neglect, Coming of Age, Enemies to Friends, Fae & Fairies, Fae Magic, Folklore, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up, Kidnapping, Multi, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Other, Passage of time, and sometimes they steal the wrong people, but really slowly, fae, is it set in ireland? northern west virginia? portland? who knows, just a dad doing his best, loosely, sometimes faeries steal people, the Fair Folk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2020-03-09 22:23:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18926200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glyph_of_wolves/pseuds/glyph_of_wolves
Summary: Colin Woodward is doing his best as a young single dad living in the middle of nowhere with his son James. After his girlfriend Penny went missing a year after James was born, Colin is trying super hard to protect his kid and be the greatest dad he can be. But sometimes your best isn't good enough.Join James as he is dragged into a world of fairies, monsters, and royalty, and join Colin on his desperate quest to retrieve his son before it's too late.





	1. Prologue

Don’t ever walk in the woods alone.

You might think that it’s a good idea, that you want to become closer to mother earth, that it will help you be mindful, that you can be like the naturalists and explorers of old, but these are childish notions. The woods have whispered in your ears and filled your mind with falsehoods.

But if you must, and only then, heed this advice:

Do not turn around if you hear your voice being called, or other strange things. 

Stay on the well traveled path.

Ignore any bells.

Do not introduce yourself to strangers on the path. They have crow eyes and snake tongues, and they will use your name against you.

Do not eat any food given to you places you don’t recognize.

Avoid the circle. It is simply a grave marker for something far more important than you, and it will swallow you.

Do not peer too closely at your reflection in the stream. You will grow roots.

They are not looking at you. Refrain from looking back, and noticing the mistakes.

Do not whisper your secrets. Everything is heard, no matter how empty the forest appears.

Never walk in the woods alone.

 

These words were scrawled with charcoal in large print on the side of the Woodward family cabin, left there by an absent mother who couldn’t follow her own instructions. Colin Woodward, now twenty-six years old with a five year old carried gently in his arms pointed to those words.

“Can you read that James?” He said, pointing to the bottom line. They’d been practicing his reading, simply to drill in this single point. “Don’t go outside without me, ok?”

“Ok, papa.” The boy gripped his father’s shirt a little tighter, “Can we go to bed now?” His father sighed. He understood that it would be hard for someone so young to understand, but he wanted to make sure that his son wouldn’t take any risks. Woodwards survived by not breaking rules.

He carried his son to his room, humming a lullaby. The boy was out before his head hit the pillow, and Colin sighed before dragging his feet over to his own room. His bed creaked as he sat down, running a hand over his tired face. He looked around, taking into account how much the room had fallen into disrepair over the last four years. It wasn’t Colin’s fault. He had in no way become a deadbeat. Ever since Penny vanished, he had only worked harder. He had never neglected his son, never shouted, never blamed the kid for looking so much like his mother, with the same blue eyes and freckled face. If anything, he was a helicopter parent. But who wouldn’t be, he rationalized. Despite all of this, despite his tireless, unending effort for the house and for his son, everything seemed to grow older. Penny’s poetic warning near the front door was one of the only things that seemed not to fade. A constant reminder. Colin stood up and began getting ready for bed, pausing by the window while unbuttoning his shirt. If he had only listened closer, he would have heard the sound of the hunt. But like most people who don’t want to hear things, he didn’t, and continued his nightly monotony. He brushed his teeth, washed his hair, and went to bed, hoping upon hope that tomorrow would bring some semblance of normal.


	2. Vanishing Acts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the first actual chapter. tw for kids and parents fighting, kidnapping, general fey creepiness

Ten year old James Woodward was like any ten year old; full of boundless, life threatening energy. It’s amazing what lengths children will go to be in danger when there are rules in place meant to prevent specifically that. In the past few months, James had managed to electrocute himself with the only open outlet in their home, climb onto the kitchen island and subsequently fall off and split his chin open on the hardwood, and slice his finger open with a butter knife. He was a tough kid, but his father joked that he must like visiting the hospital.

His father didn’t know how right he was.

It’s wasn’t the hospital per se, but James hated being cooped up, and it seemed that his father would only take him off the property on rare occasions; including but not limited to trips to the hospital. But recklessness is not something that should be fostered.

Eventually Colin got fed up. He had never been one to snap at the people he cared about but one day he saw his one and only son attempt to hammer a loose nail into the deck. Even Colin, who despite ten years of practice was still learning about being a parent, knew that ten year olds shouldn’t play with hammers. So he swooped in and wrenched it away, and he shouted.

Parents should not make a habit of shouting at their children. However, you also shouldn’t make a habit of never reprimanding your child at all, until you get so fed up that you snap like a twig. This will confuse and frighten the child, and he will shout back. And suddenly a parent and a child are shouting at each other, something that should be avoided.

This argument occurred on the porch of the cabin. The porch had recently been cleaned, though its age was still obvious. Splinters were popping up, and various scars left in the wood by curious forest creatures could be seen. Colin dreaded to think of a coyote’s vicious claws scratching so close to where his child slept. This fear popped into his head, and, parental instincts kicking in, he told his son to go to his room.

But they were outside, and little James realized this. He thought about how to go to his room, he would need to walk past his dad, and then he’d be stuck, and his dad might yell at him more. He didn’t want that.

So he broke another rule.

The most important rule, perhaps.

The one rule that his father seemed to actually care about constantly.

James Woodward, ten years old, turned, jumped off the porch, and sprinted into the woods.

He could hear his father shouting and cursing behind him, and for a moment felt bad. But ten year olds tend to be fairly egotistical, so he kept running.

He ran for a long time. Despite his lack of outdoor activity, James still had some pretty solid stamina. So he ran and ran, and finally stopped, leaning against a towering pine, breathing heavily. He couldn’t hear his father yelling anymore, and the sun was getting lower.

It was probably time to go home, he realized, and he turned around.

And realized that he couldn’t see the path. That was odd. He was sure he had stayed on the hiking trail, but he must’ve veered off at some point. That was ok, he could probably just retrace his steps. He knew that the sun set in the west, and that was always on the left side of his house, so if he just went north he should be back in no time. He started to walk back.

“Hello,” A voice said from behind him, and he whipped around to face someone who hadn’t been there moments before. They were taller than him, with pale blond hair tied in a knot, wearing a shawl that hung loosely over their thin frame. The most noticeable feature, however, were their eyes. They were just too round, just slightly too big, and almost completely black.

Crow eyes, an absent mother’s voice supplied.

“Hello,” James said, before promptly turning on his heel and restarting the trek. They appeared next to him, matching him in stride.

“What are you doing out here?” They said, leaning down as they walked. “Where’s your father?”

“Close,” responded James, not looking at his new traveling companion, and wondering how they knew his father.

“Are you sure?” James glanced to his side, and saw the person’s eyes flick back and forth. “I don’t see him. What’s your name?”

“J,” He responded, his pace picking up. The creature hummed.

“Well, J, I think you need to hurry home.”

“That’s what I’m doing, stupid,” The child muttered, speeding up.

“But you’re going the wrong way, J,” Their eyes gleamed, “And it’s getting late.”

“It’s not-” James paused, and took in his surroundings. It was almost dark. But that wasn’t right, the sun hadn’t been that low a moment ago. And he still wasn’t on a path. And suddenly they were in front of him.

“You should come with me, J”

“I don’t think I want to,” James yawned.

“Aren’t you curious? You’re a curious one, aren’t you J?” The thing whispered. James was looking at it, its large black eyes staring down at him. “If you go back to that house, your dad might not let you be curious.” James shook his head. Everything felt fuzzy. That wasn’t right, his dad loved curiosity, he had told him so.

“It’s late, J, you’re all turned around,” They murmured. “Let’s go home.” Tears pricked James’s tired eyes.

“I want my dad.” James cried, and suddenly the soft expression on their face vanished, leaving a sneer in its absence. The thing’s long arm sprung out towards the boy, and sharp fingers curled around his throat.

“Yeah, kid? You want your dad?” They hissed, their voice dripping with false sympathy. “Well I want to win.”

 

Miles away, the Woodward family cabin was a mess. Colin had spent hours in the woods, searching for his son in vain. When the sun began setting, and he heard the distant sound of bells, he ran home, hoping that James had already returned. But apparently he would not be so lucky.

He had torn through the books they had tucked away, and journals that Penny had left behind. Survival guides of all kinds and books that most would write off as pure fantasy, but nothing instructed him on how to find a lost child in the woods.

It was about a quarter till eight when he heard them. The drums. The shouting. He stood up and slammed open the front door. Lights in the forest, laughter from far away. A sob crawled out of the man’s throat. He screamed bloody murder into the dark, into the woods to be heard only by the wind and the trees, who didn’t care much for the man who lost his son. His voice went hoarse, and he slammed his fist into the side of the door, splintering the old wood. Frantic and wild, he rushed into the kitchen and rummaged through the drawer that he usually kept locked, and grabbed a knife. Shaking, he carried the tool over to the wall near the front, to the charcoal message. Another sob crawled out of him.

“I’m sorry, Penny.” He said, and started carving.


	3. Stranger Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw brief mention of murder

“Pay up.”

“Absolutely not.”

“I won! I got the human! I won our game, so pay up!”

“You got the wrong one, idiot.”

James flicked his eyes back in forth between the two people involved in this exchange. He had been awake for awhile now, though he was starting to suspect the two in front of him either hadn’t noticed or simply didn’t care. He had woken up slowly, his head filled with fog, before everything rushed back to him all at once and he sat straight up.

 

The first thing he noticed was the lighting. It was weird… it wasn’t candlelight, it was blue, and it definitely wasn’t fluorescent, a word he had been very excited about when dad taught him how to say it.

Oh right. Dad. Tears had started to gather at the corners of his eyes again, but they stopped when the argument began. He hadn’t noticed the pair at first.

It was difficult to make out to many details in the low light, but he recognized his attacker immediately. Their long blond hair, and black eyes, and skin pulled tight over their abnormally long limbs, were all giveaways. The other one was different. They were shorter, and their skin didn’t look… correct. It was almost reflective in how smooth it was, and the color of it shifted when they moved.

“The Queen wanted the other one, Cicrow.”

“Well the other one never comes in the damn woods long enough for me to find him!”

“That’s a bad word.” James interjected before he could stop himself. Two pairs of inhuman eyes turned toward him.

“What?” His kidnapper, Cicrow, asked.

“My dad says that’s a bad word. He says it sometimes when bad things happen but he said it’s bad.” James couldn’t really tell, but he thought he saw their large eyes roll. The pair went back to their conversation, almost as if the boy wasn’t there at all.

“Look, no one caught the other one, he went back to the house before we even got the chance. Besides, I don’t think the queen cares anymore. But I still won.”

“Well, he’s awake now, so what should we do with him?”

“We can still give him to the queen. That’s what we always do, what are you even asking for?” Cicrow sneered.

“Is asking a question a sin now?

“Probably.” Cicrow paused and turned fully towards James, who leaned back. Their black eyes widened, and suddenly James’s alertness seeped away, until he felt very, very tired.

James woke up again in a different room, if you could call it that, one that was much less devoid of life than the last one. In fact, as he nervously turned his head to take in his newest surroundings, he could see many creatures, both human-looking and not. There were more people than he’d ever been around. It made him nervous. He sat up on plush grass, and noticed that the walls were made of trees grown so tightly together that there weren’t any gaps. People murmured quietly and glanced down at him, making him shrink a bit under the gazes. Before him on a raised platform sat a woman, and while ten year olds raised in the middle of nowhere don’t have a strong grasp on the standard of beauty, that was the only way to describe her. Beautiful. She sat relaxed on a throne made out of gnarled root, having an air of indifference that made everyone else in the room care more about her. Her long white dress flowed to the ground, and seemed to almost dissolve as it hit the ground. But once again, James realized, while her eyes were a more normal shape and size than Cicrow’s, they were filled with inky blackness. She peered down at him, then looked behind him. He glanced back too, only to jerk a bit when he realized Cicrow was standing right behind him, though he relaxed when he noticed the look on their face. It seemed that they were as terrified as he was.

“Changeling,” The queen spoke, and her voice flowed like honey that had lost its sweetness, “What have you brought me?” Cicrow coughed.

“Your majesty, I have brought you the boy who lives in the Woodward house,” Cicrow replied, polite yet clipped. The queen’s dark eyes widened in surprise, but not for long. She looked down at the boy.

“And what is your name?”

“J,” He replied, remembering the rule. Her eyes narrowed as Cicrow’s had, before returning to her casual demeanor.

“How old are you?”

“I’m ten.”

She hummed in response. “And do you know where your father is?”

“I don’t know where I am, ma’am.” He spoke, clearly, as his dad would never want him to be impolite. She clicked her tongue, then turned to face someone standing next to her, who hadn’t been there before.

“Take him to Pieridae. My child could use an attendant.” The woman she was speaking to glanced at James’s frightened face and looked back at the queen, but said nothing. Cicrow felt differently.

“My deepest respect, your majesty, but this is simply a human boy,” They said, “I doubt he could even keep up with your child, much less properly attend to the prince.”

“I am well aware. Would you rather we killed him?” Cicrow and James eyes widened simultaneously. James opened his mouth to speak, no longer feeling very polite, but Cicrow beat him too it.

“Of course not, your majesty. That would be a waste of a hunt.”

She sighed, a breathless, trivial thing, “Yes, I guess it would, wouldn’t it? Just,” In all her regality and aloofness, James thought the Queen seemed tired, “Take him to Pieridae,” she ordered to the attendant before whispering, “keep them both out of my sight.”

“Yes, my Queen,” The woman bowed, and began walking towards James, who in panic stood up and backed away, bumping into Cicrow. The woman paused and looked at the queen, as if awaiting a more specific order. The Queen closed her black eyes in what James assumed was exasperation.

“I guess I shouldn’t waste my own,” She said, “Cicrow, you will be in charge of delivering ‘J’,” She said the name with the tiniest hint of malice, “to Pieridae’s court, and in making sure he stays there.” James could feel Cicrow tense of up behind him.

“Of course, my Queen,” They said, obviously disagreeing. They reached up and placed their hands on James’s shoulders, “Right away.”

“You’re dismissed.” She said, and that was the end of the conversation. James could tell that if he attempted to speak now, the response would be negative, if there was even a response at all. So he allowed Cicrow to turn him around and push him out of the room. A doorway had opened between two of the trees when he wasn’t looking, but as they walked out it shifted closed again. James was busy taking in the details of the hallway, the stone arches that looked far to old and the tiny aliens mushrooms that littered the floor, when he heard the scream. He jumped when an animalistic screech left Cicrow, and he turned around to see them absolutely fuming.

“This is ludicrous,” They hissed, “I’m the best gods damned hunter she has and she’s wasting me on, on, what, babysitting?!” James could tell they weren’t talking to him, but he felt the need to add his thoughts anyway. Children raised with very little human contact don’t always understand when opinions are and are not wanted. Children raised with a lot of human contact still don’t.

“It’s sort of your fault, though,” He said, matter of factly. “When my dad isn’t home, he always calls Ms.Lisa over to take care of me. And when we go to the hospital, a nurse has to watch me when my dad isn’t there. And my dad isn’t here now, so now you have to watch me.” They looked down at him with hatred and muttered something angrily. Likely more bad words.

“Let’s go, you little leech.” They finally said, ushering James farther down the hall. It was a long trek, or at least it seemed to be. It was dim in the tunnel, the only light seemingly coming from the mushrooms, and lightning bugs that clung to the ceiling. James thought it was pretty, though there wasn’t much time to enjoy it. Cicrow moved quickly thanks to their height and James had to jog to keep up. Before long the hallway came to a stop before a large set of dark wooden double doors.

“Now, J,” Cicrow said, much more calm then they had been moments ago, “When you meet the Prince, be… better than you were with the Queen.

“What does that-”

“Just don’t be so… human. Be quiet.” James would have responded, said something about how he hadn’t said that much at all, and that he couldn’t very well stop being human, but at that moment the doors swung open, seemingly of their own volition. Cicrow and James entered the room, and James took in the scenery.

While the throne room and the hallway had certainly been fascinating, and far more interesting and intricate than the rooms in the Woodward family house, this one took the cake. James stepped through the doors, and his sneakers sunk into soft sand. The entrance was a small beach, that only went a few feet forward before dipping into calm water. Lily pads and other water flora floated undisturbed, and koi fish and frogs could be seen swimming or hopping near the shore. Stepping stones rose neatly from the water, and they led to a large stone island in the center of the room, if you could call it that. The lake seemed to be the size of the entire hospital parking lot, James rationalized, if it was round. There may have been more accurate descriptions, but that was the largest area that came to James’s mind in that moment. The island in the center was flat, dark gray slate, but appeared to be covered in plush pillows and blankets, and other unnatural trinkets James couldn’t make out. On the far edge, he could make out the form of a small figure curled into pillows with their back turned.

“Come on,” Cicrow called to James, and began to step gracefully across the stones. James, on the other hand, had more trouble. He was much shorter, and ten year olds aren’t well-known for being graceful. He almost tumbled into the water on multiple occasions, but somehow Cicrow always managed to turn around and grab him before he slipped. Their irritation over having to do this was overwhelmingly obvious.

When the pair finally made it across the stretch of water, James watched as Cicrow knelt and lowered their head, making them roughly the same height as he was.

“Prince Pieridae,” They announced, in a similar tone to the one they had used when addressing the queen, “I have come on request of your Mother, Her majesty High Queen of the Fair Folk, Slayer of the Great Shade, Mistress of the Hunt, Lady of the-”

“Oh gods, would you shut up already!” A high pitched voice rang from where the figure was curled, and James watched as they stretched out and turned to face them, eyes half lidded and features filled with sloth.

Prince Pieridae was interesting to look at. He looked nothing like his mother, to start with, but gave off the same air of indifference and privilege that she did. His black hair was swept back and held in place with a silver tiara that spiked upwards. He was dressed in light green reminiscent of lichen, and black lines spread across the outfit like branches coming out of his middle. He sighed and pushed himself up from the ground and started walking over to the two at the edge of the island, opening his eyes as if to judge them. And that was when James noticed them. His eyes.

James had half been expecting the same black irises that Cicrow and the Queen possessed to adorn the Prince’s face as well, but to his surprise that was not the case. Pieridae’s eyes gleamed yellow in the low light, slitted like the feral cat’s that occasionally visited the Woodward’s porch.

Or perhaps they were snakes eyes, and perhaps the prince had a tongue to match, just like his mother had warned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you like this, I'd appreciate going to my writing blog on tumblr @samgwrites and reblogging the chapters there.


	4. Interest Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *dances wildly* time to meet, my favorite child, (sorry james u didn't cut it) 
> 
> tw kidnapping i guess but that's like an ongoing thing throughout like the faeries r sorta known for nicking kids

James spoke first, and he could just tell that in that moment Cicrow wanted nothing more than to throw him into the lake.

“Hello,” James said, nervously. Pieridae looked at him strangely. James noticed that despite the air of superiority, the prince couldn’t have been much older than he was, even if he was a little taller.

“Hello,” The Prince replied curiously, “I’m Pieridae. Who are you?” The Prince stepped closer to him, and James didn’t budge from where he was standing. Cicrow, still kneeling, was looking at both of them with horror, eyes flicking back and forth rapidly.

“I’m J.” James answered, but the Prince only scoffed and narrowed his eyes.

“No you’re not. You’re lying.” James frowned at this.

“How would you know?” He asked, a bit more roughly than intended. Pieridae simply rolled his eyes.

“I can just tell. But that’s ok. You don’t have to tell me your name right now,” Pieridae said, waving a hand in the air before turning to Cicrow. “Changeling, who is this?”

Cicrow coughed slightly, “This is the human caught in last night’s hunt, my Prince. He is from the house in the clearing. Your mother believes he could be an attendant-” They were interrupted when Pieridae burst out laughing.

“Oh, yikes, she must be so mad!” He cackled and turned to James, “My mother has been trying to catch that man that lives in that house at the edge the of the woods for forever by now. She must be so disappointed. That must be why you’re here. She rarely ever visits.” Pieridae’s eyes darkened for a moment before returning to their typical shine. James chose to ignore the mention of his father. “And I don’t really need an attendant, but you can stay here anyway. If you tried to go back, I bet one of the shades would eat you.” He added flippantly.

“Eat me?” James shrieked, “Wait, but I need to go home! My dad’s probably looking for me, he always freaks out when he doesn’t know where I am!” Pieridae hummed.

“Well, be my guest. Like I said, I don’t need an attendant, but I doubt you can leave. Even if you have been lying to everyone, mother probably has at least some control over you.”

“If I may, your highness,” Cicrow addressed the young prince, “I have been sent to watch over both of you until J calms down. He will not be leaving under my watch.” Pieridae looked thoughtful for a moment, before his eyes widened.

“Oh right! You’re the one that can make prey fall asleep just by looking at them. That’s cool. Kind of weird though.” Cicrow looked insulted, but plastered on a smile. James gave a sharp laugh before slapping a hand over his mouth. Pieridae eyed him.

“What’s so funny?” He asked, and James looked down and wrung his hands.

“It’s not really funny, but you talk like a normal person. Not all fancy-shmancy like everyone else. I’m just happy there’s another boy my age here I guess.” Pieridae frowned suddenly.

“I’m not a boy.” Pieridae said.

“What?”

“At least, not right now, though I guess you couldn’t tell. That’s fine, I forgive you. But don’t do it again.”

“Are you a girl?”

“Currently,” She replied.

“But I thought you were a prince. Shouldn’t you be a princess, then?”

“No”

“Ok.”

Some people may have argued the matter further, but children don’t tend to nitpick people’s genders unless taught to do so. And, along with being polite, Colin had always taught James to be kind. Though he was still confused about one thing.

“But if you change, how am I supposed to tell?” James asked, and Pieridae hummed, tapping her chin with her hand.

“Oh I know!” She exclaimed, and pointed to her eyes. To James’s surprise, the yellow shifted and changed, moving through green and landing on blue, a brighter neon version of his own. “When my eyes are blue, that means I’m a girl. If they’re yellow, I’m a boy, and in between I’m neither.” James nodded as if he understood, even though he didn’t and just wanted to be nice. “How old are you?”

“Ten.”

“Well I don’t really know what that means, but I’m eleven so that must mean I can tell you what to do.”

“I don’t think that’s how-”

“But I won’t. You don’t have to listen to me anyway, and it’ll make my mom mad if I let you go, so a win-win”. James looked at her, surprised.

“So I can go home now?” He asked, hopeful, and Pieridae started to nod, but Cicrow cut her off.

“Your highness,” They started, and a hint of anger seeped into their voice before they pressed on, standing up to their full height, “I apologize, but I cannot allow the human to leave. I fear our Queen’s decision outweighs your own.” Pieridae frowned, but then simply closed her eyes and sighed.

“Oh well, too bad,” Then she turned and addressed James. “It’s ok, I bet after awhile the changeling will get tired or they’ll have to go hunting and then you can leave” Cicrow growled at this, but James ignored them and smiled at the Prince. She was really nice, for an inhuman fey creature in a mysterious cavern. She returned the smile and spoke.

“Come on, J. You can hang out with me on the other side of the island. We can play a game.”

“Ok,” James replied happily, and followed Pieridae over to where she had been sitting, leaving Cicrow to fume and guard the door. “You promise I can go home later, right?” He asked again, just to confirm.

“Yep,” Pieridae replied confidently, “I promise. I can’t lie, did you know that?”

“No, I didn’t,” James said, trusting the Prince’s words.

“That’s ok, I can tell you stuff. You probably don’t know a lot of stuff, you’re only human after all,” James thought this specificity was odd, but couldn’t get a word in edgewise, “Now, I’ve been trying to catch this frog so it can be my friend,” Pieridae glanced at James quickly. “But don’t be jealous. You’ll still be my friend,” James nodded in response, and the pair sat together, staring at the water.

 

It was nearing midnight now, though James wouldn’t have been able to tell. Colin could. Colin could practically feel the minutes passing. What had it been? Only an hour or two, now? The police had stopped by, he’d called them, but they hadn’t given him much hope. In fact, he thought one of them had been more rude about him being a single dad than actually doing his job. But they hadn’t asked about the carvings on the wall or the odd writing, so he figured it could have gone worse.

Or it couldn’t have, really, because his son was missing, and nothing could be worse than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pieridae voice: Fuck adults its frog time. 
> 
> Pieridae is gender fluid and Cicrow is nonbinary and if I see anyone clowning in the comments you will catch these hands.


	5. Overkill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tw bad parenting, choking (?? its like star wars), attempted murder related to the choking, heartfelt moments

This might surprise some people, but it took James about a week to get mad at Pieridae.  Perhaps it was because the Prince was nice, and James had never really had a playmate before, so he didn’t want to fight. But after roughly six days of doing nothing aside from playing with frogs and sleeping, James got fed up. 

“I’d like to leave today.” He said, standing behind Pieridae who was leaning over the pool. The Prince jumped slightly, and turned to look up at James. 

“Why?” Yellow eyes looked up at, troubled. 

“My dad probably misses me. And I’m starting to get hungry,” He explained.

“You could always eat some of my food,” Pieridae muttered.

“I want to go home,” James ignored the suggestion. “You promised you would help,” Pieridae raised his hands in defeat. 

“Fine, fine. You’ll never be able to come back though.” Pieridae stood up, dusted off his outfit and righted his crown. 

“I know,” James said. He was a little sad that he wouldn’t get to play with Pieridae anymore, but he missed his dad. And food. He found it odd how he’d been here for days, but it was only now that he began to feel hungry. Pieridae ate all the time, but James only had to remember the rules and then didn’t feel any need. 

Cicrow was nodding off by the door, their blond hair hanging loosely in front of their face. Pieridae led James across the stones, holding his hand to make sure the human boy didn’t topple into the murky water and alert Cicrow to their movement. It was odd to James how easy it was to slip past the dosing faerie. Perhaps they just didn’t care. Once the pair was out of the room, James asked Pieridae why it was so easy to sneak past them. 

“Oh, well, they’ve been making you sleepy all week, and haven’t been sleeping themself, and that takes a lot of power. Every thing taken must be given as well, you know. So if they take away your energy, eventually they must give some of theirs up as well,” James nodded along as Pieridae explained, and the pair continued to tiptoe along the old corridor.  Eventually they came upon an old wooden door, and James tried to open it. 

“It won’t move!” He whined, looking at Pieridae, “Is there another door somewhere?” 

“Silly,” Pieridae shook his head and laughed, “Who needs another door?” James watched as Pieridae carefully laid his hands on the door and stared at it. It took a moment, and James started to wonder what Pieridae was trying to accomplish, but suddenly the door started to move. The pieces shifted, and suddenly the dead slabs were crawling over and around each other, reaching down to the ground and shifting into the mud. Some of them sprouted roots as they hit the ground, others began to fall apart. The door didn’t exactly vanish, but a fairly sizeable hole was created, more than big enough to allow the pair through. James stared at Pieridae with wide eyes and grinned.

“I didn’t know you could do magic!” James said, and Pieridae looked away, blushing but acting nonchalant.

“Of course I can,” He replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “I’m the prince.” James nodded, because of course the faerie prince could do magic, and the two moved forward.

They walked for a bit, and soon the floor shifted from stone into dirt and moss. Stone columns were replaced by towering pines, the ceiling replaced with branches and patches of daylight. Pieridae skipped along the path with James following along behind him. The forest was interesting. Occasionally, James thought he saw shadows with nothing casting them, but he ignored them. They spoke a bit, and occasionally Pieridae would point out various fauna and flora to an interested James.

“Have you ever seen this type of bird before, J?” Pieridae asked when a pretty blue and grey crested bird fluttered down to land on his shoulder. James shook his head. “It’s a steller’s jay, a human named it. Humans like naming things,” Pieridae perked up, “But that’s good, because that means it’s so much like you!” James cocked his head.

“How so?”

“Well both of you have human names, you’re both ‘J’, and,” Pieridae looked at James with a glint in his eye, “I think you’re stellar,” Pieridae cackled at his own joke. James chuckled a bit at the bad pun and ignored the compliment.

“I bet you would get along with my dad,” James said as they continued their trek, “He’s also a nature nerd with a bad sense of humor.” 

“Well, I don’t know what a nerd is, but I’d love to get to meet him,” Pieridae responded almost meekly, not looking at James. 

“You could always come with me,” James said hopefully, but watched sadly as Pieridae’s shoulders tensed and he quickened his pace.

“We just need to get you home,” He said quickly, and that was that. 

 

James had only glimpsed the fairy circle before he heard the sound of shouting. Pieridae grabbed his hand tightly and pulled.

“Run!” The prince shouted, and the pair sprinted towards the ring of mushrooms. “Go, go, go,” he kept repeating as he tugged James along. Pieridae moved faster than James due to his height, and James kept stumbling over rocks and branches. Those shadows that James had seen earlier were moving now, quickly, followed by what sounded like wolves and very angry people. Pieridae practically threw James toward the ring, but before he stepped into, the human boy turned and motioned for Pieridae.

“Come on!” He called urgently, “You have to come with me, they’ll catch you!”

“They’re not after me!” Pieridae hissed, “They’ll just… put me back. You’re the one in trouble, so go! Get back to your dad.” 

“No!” James stomped his foot and balled his fists, determined to not move until Pieridae caught up. “If they needed to catch me, they would’ve just sent Cicrow again,” Pieridae scoffed, “I’m serious, Pieridae! This is going way overboard for just me, are you joking? Everyone here is faster, and bigger, and scarier than me,” tears pricked “And you are too, but you’re nice. And they aren’t and they definetely do not want to just let you hang out with frogs in your room, so come on!” James reached out his hand, and watched as Pieridae glanced back and forth between him and the forest. The yelling was getting louder now. Pieridae bounced on the balls of his feet, staring at James’s offered hand. Suddenly, the Prince heaved a sigh, before jumping over and grabbing it tightly.

“You really are stellar, huh, J?” Pieridae grinned and James returned in kind. “Come on, let’s-” Pieridae stopped mid sentence and the grin vanished, “J, look out!” James turned as quickly as he could, but he couldn’t do anything as the hulking form of a wolf jumped over the fairy ring and came crashing down on him, and the world went dark. 

James stared up at the faerie queen. His knees dug into the mossy floor. His jeans must have ripped when he fell. Pieridae knelt next to him, avoiding the other boy’s face. 

“I’m disappointed in you, Pieridae,” The queen spoke.

“You’re always disappointed in me,” James heard Pieridae whisper, but the queen either didn’t hear or didn’t care. 

“You not only released the human child, but it appears as if you were going to go with him.”

“I wasn’t- I was just-” Pieridae started, but the queen just held up her hand and looked behind the two, motioning for someone to come forward. James couldn’t see what was happening, but he heard the fighting, and all of the sudden Cicrow was tossed like a limp doll between them, hands tied behind them and loose hair obscuring their face. They struggled to sit up, and it was pitiful to watch.

“Your majesty,” They started, but they were cut off by the queen’s stare.

“Stand up, changeling,” The queen demanded. James shivered. “You were supposed to be watching them. Was that not simple enough for you? Too complex? Or did you simply want to anger me and endanger the crown prince.”

“Your majesty, please” Cicrow fumbled over their words, “I watched them constantly since J arrived, but I have been using my powers too much. I needed the rest! I couldn’t have known that they would have decided to run while I was regaining my energy.” 

“Meaningless excuses. You should have been better prepared,” The venom left her tone and she sighed, leaning back in her throne. “I suppose it is partially my fault,” Voices of dissent rose around her, trying to dissuade her. “I shouldn’t have trusted such a delicate task to a hunter. Nevertheless, I can’t let this incident pass,” Her voice turned soft, “You understand, don’t you Cicrow?” And James watched as the fight drained out of Cicrow and their eyes went foggy, and the hunter just nodded. The queen smiled softly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Executioner,” The wave of obedience that had washed over Cicrow vanished as quickly as it appeared, and James watched as Cicrow pulled against their bonds, and how two more creatures, less human than the ones he had met, came forward and grabbed Cicrow, bringing them to their knees. One of them dragged clawed hands through stringy blonde hair and tugged, lifting their head and forcing them to look at the queen.

“Please,” They choked, “please,” and James watched as someone appeared next to the queen. 

They were rather small, and didn’t seem that threatening to James, but a glance over to Pieridae informed him that they had to be dangerous. The prince was shaking and staring at the ground. James stared at Cicrow. The faerie had stopped struggling and their eyes were closed, and James could hear shaky breaths coming out of them, like they were trying to calm down. The shorter faerie, the executioner, raised a clawed hand in the air, and suddenly Cicrow was coughing, roughly, getting louder and scratchier until red was flying out of their mouth.

Tears threatened to spill from James’s eyes. Why? Why was this happening, why was he crying? Cicrow was horrible, they attacked him, they stole him, they ignored him… but they were dying and no one did anything to stop it, and James wanted to scream. 

No one was holding him, he realized. Perhaps they had figured that no frail human would dare stand up when he’d been told to stay down. Perhaps they had figured no one would ever attempt to help his assailant. This is why, when James stood up and leapt forward, no one was there to stop him. 

The executioner didn’t expect to be interrupted by a rather short ten year old in a blue hoodie and ripped up jeans, but that is what happened. James toppled into the executioner and they both went down, everyone watching silently. James looked up to see the piercing stares. The queen’s attendant darted forward, obviously intent on grabbing the child, but before she could lay a finger on him she crumpled to the ground, asleep. James whipped his head around to stare at a wide-eyed, and very much alive, Cicrow. The attendant wasn’t the only one asleep. In fact, it seemed as if half the court had decided to use this moment to take a nap. The queen, though still very much awake, was frozen in shock, and couldn’t seem to make a move to stop whatever was happening.

“That was a stupid move, leech,” Cicrow wheezed, “But thanks,” James gave a small nod, but Cicrow wasn’t done, “And sorry about this in advance, but I swear on my name that I will pay you back for this. Just not right now. Be patient, alright, kid?” Before James had the chance to respond, Cicrow was gone. They had run from the room, to fast for anyone to stop them. A moment passed, but then the queen screamed. It was a horrible noise, and James covered his ears to protect his head from the pain. He scrambled backwards towards Pieridae, who caught him gently and mumbled something about being sorry into his ear. 

“Take them away,” the queen practically growled to the waking guards, “And lock that one up. Don’t let him tempt the Prince again.” 

 

Seven forty five p.m. is when James Woodward went missing. At eight, Colin carved protective sigils into the walls of his house, something his wife always warned him not to do. The police stopped by at twelve and left soon after. At two, Colin was burying iron in the yard. At three he was reading books that he had always avoided. At five he screamed and kicked things and sobbed, throwing glass and stone and iron and railing against the creatures that stole his son, wailing in the moonless night. At six he collapsed on the porch swing, tear tracks fresh on his face but too tired to move himself inside. It was a little around noon that he woke to the sound of cursing at the edge of the property. He jumped up and grabbed the hammer that was still laying on the deck, fully prepared to attack any ill meaning interlopers. He stepped off the porch carefully, scanning the edge of the woods, and spotted them. Thin, pale, with stringy blond hair and a white shirt that was stained worryingly red. They were mumbling something incoherently, leaning against a tree.

“Hey!” Colin called, raising the hammer and approaching the figure, “This is private property!” The figure laughed, but the sound soon morphed into a coughing fit. They stumbled forward.

“Private property my eye,” They choked out, “I saw about fifty pixies on my way here spouting nonsense about getting kicked out. Finally standing up to us, huh?” 

“Who are you?” Colin demanded, coming closer.

“Loaded questions right off the bat! Lower some of your wards and maybe I’ll tell you,” They pushed themselves up against the tree, now standing taller than Colin. “You’re so rude, you know, ” The figure looked up and stared at the man, their large black eyes gleaming in the midday sun, “I can see the family resemblance” 

And then they collapsed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, two people currently invested in this story, what do you think? Thoughts? Notes? Edits? How am I doin? This is basically the end of the exposition chapters (that's a lie there are going to be two more exposition chapters... is this slow burn? is this what slow burn means??) 
> 
> Honestly I feel like, despite the fact that this is the longest chapter, it could be longer. Who knows. When I finish this thing I'll go back and rewrite, but for now, this is what it is. Thanks for reading! 
> 
> I gotta draw something for this chapter a lot of stuff happens that is good for drawing.... again my main blog is @glyph-of-wolves, and my writing one is @samgwrites.


	6. Misery Loves Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw general loneliness, sadness, manhandling
> 
> let me know if I missed something.

It was cold, when James woke up. A far cry from the humidity and comfortable heat of Pieridae’s court. It was dark too, no sunlight peeking through cracks in the cave or lightning bugs or mushrooms glowing faintly on the floor. He was used to it by now, this waking up without light. It was hard to tell exactly how much time had passed, but James guessed that it had been a few days since the botched escape and subsequent botched execution. He was getting more and more hungry, and more than a little bored. At least in the Prince’s rooms they were things to do and comfortable places to sleep. But here, in what could only be called a cell, there was only hard, cold rock and darkness. No one had visited, he couldn’t even tell if there were guards. He felt utterly and truly alone, which is something that no child should ever feel. He wondered what his dad was thinking, if he was as lonely as James was, but his thoughts were interrupted.  

“J?” A light shone through the door to the cell. James almost couldn’t remember who the voice belonged to, but he did, and the sound brought an uneasy feeling into his already uncomfortable gut. “J, it’s me, you know, the Prince? I’m sure you know that,” James didn’t respond. He heard Pieridae sigh. “I, uh, figure you can’t see me right now, but it’s a blue day. For both the eyes, and the sky.” She cackled a bit at her own comment. James didn’t see what was so funny, though he figured Pieridae’s sense of humor was just like that. Incomprehensible, at least for young human boys.  She paused for a while before speaking again.

“I’m sorry,” She said quietly, “About what happened,” She laughed, “I bet you’re not used to executions or just, my mom in general.”

James still didn’t reply.

“And I’m sorry I haven’t come sooner. She’s just now letting me out of my room, can you believe it?” He could. “I promised her I wouldn’t try and help you escape again, so I guess next time you’re on your own. I can probably get you out of here soon, though,” He assumed she meant the cell and not the overall situation. “You haven’t… changed, have you? Sometimes my mom keeps humans down here too long and they change. It’s really scary. But you’re not scary, right? You’re stellar!” James heard the tightness in her voice, and still did not respond. He heard a shaky breath, and footsteps retreating, and the light at the edge of his vision faded. 

 

The light returned some time later, and this time James heard the loud scraping of stone before it filled the room entirely, hurting his eyes. They refocused to see Pieridae, but she wasn’t alone this time. With her were two guards, big and bulky, with skin like stone. One of them spoke, but their faces were so still that James couldn’t really tell which one. 

“The human known as Steller will accompany Prince Pieridae back to her court, and will remain there for the foreseeable future. Should he attempt to escape he will be returned to this cell. Does the human understand?” It was odd, how they asked the question like he wasn’t there, but he didn’t care much. He nodded in response, staring at Pieridae.

“He understands,” She said, carefully, like she was worried she had somehow misunderstood the boy’s gesture. 

“Alright,” replied the guard, and suddenly James felt himself getting hauled up by a hand bigger than his torso. 

The walk through the dungeon corridor was silent. It continued to be silent as they walked through well made hallways and sunlit paths and more hallways until there were back in front of the doors that lead into Pieridae’s court. Suddenly, James felt frantic. He knew that this was just another cell that he wouldn’t be able to escape from a second time, not for awhile at least. And not with the help of the one person that he had started to trust. So he tugged against the monsters restraining him, which only served to bring pain to his small arms. He heard a ripping noise, and stopped struggling, breathing hard, and looked over to see that his sweatshirt had torn at the shoulder. It seemed so insignificant. He barely noticed when the guards deposited him on the sandy beach and closed the doors behind them. He didn’t move to stand up. The room seemed smaller than it had been only days ago. Pieridae stood next to him. She seemed as frozen as he was. James still didn’t feel like talking. He knew that if he tried to it would just morph into yelling. He’d never felt this angry or… alone. Which was saying something. Pieridae might’ve said something but he didn’t hear it. He just heard the gentle lapping of the water against the beach, and farawar frogs. He didn’t hear Pieridae’s shouts of alarm as he fell to his side, dead to the world.

 

James was getting tired of waking up without knowing how long it had been or where he was. Well, he knew where he was. He was in Pieridae’s court, specifically on the grey slate island that she claimed as a sanctuary. However, he didn’t know how he had gotten there. He distinctly remembered passing out on the beach at the entrance. He sat up slowly, holding his head in one head as the slight movement made his dizzy. When the feeling had passed he looked around, surprised to see that Pieridae was nowhere to be found. He sat there for awhile, watching the various animals play in the shallow water. 

He didn’t notice the prince coming up behind him. He did, however, smell him. James turned around to see Pieridae looking nervous, yellow eyes not meeting his own. This isn’t what James noticed. He noticed the brown bag hanging from his right hand. It was unassuming on its own, just paper with dark oil stains on the bottom. But it was so decidedly human that James couldn’t help but stare at it. His stomach growled, and he was so focused on the bag he almost didn’t hear what Pieridae was saying. 

“So, I talked to a few of the changelings and finally got one of them to make a deal with me. Nothing awful, just some extra free time, which wasn’t too hard to get from mother. I think she’s mostly forgotten about you, which might be a blessing,” James barely processed the fact that the other boy was now sitting right next to him. “Anyway, food! You have to be getting hungry by now,” James’s stomach rumbled again as if to agree, “and according to the changelings all humans like… whatever this is. There’s some food in the edge forest that you can eat too without changing,” James ignored Pieridae’s explanation and focused in on what the prince was pulling out of the bag. A burger from the only fast food restaurant the Woodward’s lived anywhere near, wrapped in cheap tin foil. Pieridae tossed it over to James, who caught it before it could hit his lap, surprising both himself and the boy sitting across from him. 

Pieridae watched James eat for awhile, either with disgust or curiosity James couldn’t tell. He thought more about his dad, probably still looking. He thought about how long he’d been here. He’d lost track of the days a bit, down in the dark, cold cell, but it couldn’t have been that long. His birthday was coming up, he remembered. How had he forgotten? How does a child forget his birthday? There was a small war in his mind, about birthdays, and parents, and bad things that had happened. A war over how to act, but in the end he only found that he didn’t want to be lonely. He finished his burger. 

“Thanks,” He mumbled. Pieridae beamed.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this chapter! My notes before writing this were just "everything is solved with a burger and fries" and the fries didn't even make it in. Please send feedback!! 
> 
> Side note: while this is a coming of age story, and we are going to see these characters grow up, pls don't say 'shippy' stuff about them in these earlier chapters just cause,,,,, they're 11. babies. wait till later. we'll get there, we just have to get through one more exposition chapter. and then like 6 more after that.


	7. Enemy of My Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colin learns the truth of what's happened. 
> 
> tw for mild violence

Colin stared at the person sitting across his kitchen table. With their pale blond hair and dark eyes, they looked surprisingly average. It’d be impossible to tell there was anything sinister about them. But Colin knew better. He’d watched them change. He didn’t quite understand how it worked, but he knew that the creature before him was a changeling, which allowed them to remain inconspicuous among everyday human beings. He’d had plenty of time to learn about them.

“I thought changelings lived with humans,” Colin had asked one morning, “like, swapped at birth with the normal baby.” 

“We did once… it’s harder now,” Cicrow had waved their hand in the air to symbolize how complicated it was. “People give birth in hospitals now, and they do blood tests. Our glamours are good but not that good. No,”they sighed, “we mainly do the hunting now. We’re good at blending in with our surroundings,” Colin nodded in response and eyed Cicrow warily. He was well aware of the faerie’s involvement in his son’s disappearance. Had been since their second conversation. 

When the changeling had collapsed at the edge of his property, Colin had tried to carry them to the house, only for them to scream in pain when dragged over the bumps in the yard. It took about half an hour to dig up enough iron and clear the entrance so he could carry them across the lawn and get them inside. They had passed out from the pain, and it took another hour and Colin yelling at them a few times for the faerie to wake up again. More yelling and finally the faerie explained their involvement in James’s disappearance.

Colin Woodward was not a violent man. But he would stand by the fact that the faerie deserved the black eye he gave them. Probably more, but Colin had held back at the faerie’s cries. It was obvious that despite whatever they had done, they’d been punished plenty. 

They explained what exactly had happened later, when they had both calmed down and Cicrow had stopped coughing. 

“Your son is really brave, you know?” They choked out, in a tone that Colin couldn’t tell whether it was fondness or bitterness. “Stupid, but brave. If it makes you feel any better, I do regret my involvement.”

“It doesn’t.”

“Well, I am sorry. Both for what happened and for your shitty attitude,”  Colin thought there was a bit too much venom in those words for someone who had kidnapped his son but he didn’t comment on it, still rolling the new information over in his head. James hadn’t been harmed when Cicrow had seen him last, but it was possible after their escape that something bad had happened. Just thinking about what these monsters might think of as an acceptable reaction to a child trying to go home made his stomach turn. He was a little surprised that all this had gone by in less than a day, though. James was a curious kid, Colin had figured he’d get distracted by all the odd creatures, maybe try to learn something new. He didn’t dwell on it. 

“Ok, buddy, here’s the deal. If you’re actually sorry about what has happened to my son, then you are going to help me fix this,” Colin watched as Cicrow mulled the proposal over in their head. It took longer than he would have liked, so he spoke again. “Listen, either you agree to help me, or I send you back out that door, put all my wards back up, and leave you to hope that your little queen hasn’t sent anyone to find you,” Cicrow sighed.

“I’d recommend not demeaning her. There’s no love lost between us, certainly, but if we’re going to save your son, then it’s best not to antagonize her too much. Rumour says she can sense dissent anywhere near her court, and rumours hold more credibility where I’m from.”

“So you’ll help me, then.”

“Of course I’ll help you. I promised that little leech I’d pay him back,”

“Please stop calling my kid a leech.” 

“And this seems to be the simplest answer. So I guess it’s a deal,” Colin watched in slight wonder as the faeries form had started to change, their long limbs shortening, and eyes changing to a dark brown instead of that otherworldly black. They smiled, “Buddy.”

 

“It’s been forty five days, Cicrow, focus!” Colin yelled, “I need to get my son back, it’s already been over a month, who knows what he must be feeling. I missed his goddamn birthday! He’s eleven for God’s sake!” When he said that, something happened. Cicrow has suddenly stiff, unable to meet the human’s eyes. Their pale blonde hair fell across their eyes as they looked away. Colin nearly growled at how avoidant the creature was being. “What?” He asked, letting the word fill with irritation.

“I’m sorry,” Cicrow whispered. Colin rubbed at his temples. He didn’t have time for another one of Cicrow’s useless apologies. 

“You’ve already apologized, I told you I’ll forgive you when—“

“No, not about that,” Cicrow continued to stare at the floor. “Though I am still sorry, but I,” Cicrow paused and took a deep breath, and Colin waited, “I haven’t told you everything. Haven’t been completely honest, you might say, despite that being impossible,” They chuckled, but it did nothing to lift the dark mood in the room. Colin stared at him, fear seeping into his bones, the feeling of knowing there’s a danger but not quite seeing it yet.

“What is it?”

“You should know,” Cicrow finally looked back at him, regret welling up in their dark eyes,  “It’s been a lot longer than a month for him.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is pretty short but I couldn't fit it in another chapter, so here you go. Also sorry it jumps around a bit. We love past perfect tense.  
> Tell me what you think! Give me ur opinions! Tell me if there is a typo! Thanks for reading!
> 
> Also, if you would like to see what this story looks like, there's some art!
> 
> Slightly outdated character designs: https://glyph-of-wolves.tumblr.com/post/183394796604/its-oc-time-first-person-to-come-up-with-a-good  
> Concept art for Pieridae's court: https://glyph-of-wolves.tumblr.com/post/186644683819/concept-art-for-a-scene-from-my-original-story


	8. Make a Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> birthday time 
> 
> tw for descriptions of child abuse, kidnapping, child labor (??? technically?? but like in the sense that kid ballerinas are doing a job idk man)

“I think I’m twelve.”

“What?” Yellow eyes blinked at him from across their makeshift picnic area. The two boys were eating a selection of various fruits and mushrooms that Pieridae had collected earlier that day. He was careful when he went foraging for James, since they both knew that he could only eat food that grew close enough to certain streams and the few circles back to the human world. James had never really liked mushrooms much, but he was starting to get used to them. 

“Yeah, cause you’re twelve now right? And you turned eleven only a little bit before I got here,”

“I’m still older,” 

“Yeah, whatever, anyway, if you’re twelve now, and it’s been a few weeks at least, then that means I must be twelve too.” 

“That makes sense but--”

“That’s weird though, isn’t it? Two birthdays spent sitting in this room,” Pieridae held up a hand.

“First of all, Steller, we’ve been over this, it’s not just a room,” Pieridae started, but James cut him off.

“Yes, of course your highness I forgot; a court,” James let sarcasm bleed into his words, but Pieridae ignored him.

“And second of all, you never even told me that you turned eleven! I mean, I figured but was it seriously that long ago?”

“Sorry, I was a bit too busy being sad about possibly never seeing my dad again to throw a party,” Pieridae looked chastised at the tone James took, but continued.

“I understand, but we need to celebrate. Two birthdays in one! It’ll be fun.”

“It would be, but isn’t that what we normally do? Have fun in this room?” James sighed, “And anyway, it’s not even my birthday. It probably happened days ago”

“So? Come on, how do humans celebrate birthdays?” When James didn’t respond Pieridae edged closer and poked at his face, “well?”

“I don’t know we… eat cake,”

“I know what that is!”

“And get balloons,”

“I don’t know what that is.”

“And on my tenth birthday my dad drove us out to the mountain so we could watch meteors.” Pieridae nodded along, but James looked at him sadly. “I know that stuff isn’t possible right now, Pieridae. Can we just move on? Please?”

“Sure, sure. I’ll stop bothering you,” Pieridae said, large grin plastered on his face. James didn’t believe him. 

 

“You need to leave,” James jumped at Pieridae’s sudden exclamation.

“What?” He asked, suddenly on his feet. Had something happened? Was he in danger? Had Pieridae finally decided he didn’t want him around, and now he was being released to the shades and other fae to do with as they pleased? In his sudden panic he didn’t notice Pieridae’s eyes widening and him raising his hands to calm James down. 

“No, no, sorry that came out wrong,” Pieridae laughed and James frowned, “I just mean I think you should get out of the court for a bit. Get some exercise,” James rolled his eyes.

“I get plenty of exercise, Pieridae.”

“No, I’ve decided. Royal decree from me, Prince Pieridae, that the human known as Steller is going to go on a walk somewhere that isn’t my court.”

“Oh, and of course I can’t refuse a decree from  _ the _ Prince Pieridae.”

“Nope, you can’t. The guards are going to take you on a nice walk through one of my sibling’s gardens. You’ll be back before you know it, but seriously,” Pieridae’s tone lost some of its happiness, “You’ve been so down lately. And don’t take this the wrong way, I understand. Honestly it’s a miracle you don’t like, hate me.”

“It’s all the mushrooms,” James snarked, feeling slightly vulnerable. He knew he had every right to be mad at the fae prince, but honestly it seemed like so much effort to hate the only person that had tried to help him. 

“Figures. But seriously, getting out of the room will do you some good,” It was at that moment that the doors across the lake swung open and revealed the stone guards. James shivered slightly at the sight of them, and Pieridae clapped his hands together. 

“He’ll be over there in just a second!” He called across the water before turning once more to James and whispering, “I already talked to them, but if they even look at you wrong let me know. They won’t get away with it,” James rolled his eyes slightly at Pieridae’s threat, but was inwardly grateful. He hadn’t interacted with the guards in a year, but they were still creepy. 

“Do I have to?” He asked, letting a hint of humor slip into his voice.

“Steller, you don’t have to do anything. You should do this, though,” After a long-suffering sigh, James relented. 

“Fine, see you in a bit,” He stood up and stretched, heading towards the stepping stones, “If they break me it’s on you,” He called back, chuckling when Pieridae shouted in response.

“Don’t joke about that!” James stepped onto the beach and looked up at the stone guards. 

“Hello,” He started, polite as always, “I was told that you’re going to take me to a garden?”

“The human known as Steller will go on a walk through Aeran’s Garden.”

“Who’s Aeran?” James didn’t get a verbal response, and the guards’ faces didn’t even twitch, but James got the distinct impression that they were frowning at him. The guards started to leave, and James followed.

 

James didn’t know what he was looking at. When he heard the word garden, he remembered the vegetables that grew behind his house, and the flowers in neat little rows that his father obsessed over. This was not that.

After walking through the halls, they arrived at a door similar to Pieridae’s, but much smaller. One of the guards knocked, then pushed the door open, before the other took James by the arm and, as gently one can, pulled him forward and pushed him through the door. 

“We will wait out here. Aeran has been made aware of your presence, and has agreed to let you wander,” One of them said, and suddenly James was facing a closed door, alone. Turning around revealed the garden. 

It was overgrown. There was a clear cut path, but tall grasses and weeds surrounded it on either side. Trees grew wild and misshapen towards the sky, that he could see through a large whole in the roof. Pieridae had a sun light in the center of his island, but in this room the entire roof was almost gone. There were hundreds of flowers too, growing through the thicket and on the trees. What struck James as odd was that they were all different species, but every one was some shade of red. 

Well, if the fae had a favorite color, who was James to judge.

He wandered about for awhile, taking in the scenery. It was relatively silent, the only noise being the wind in the leaves. He picked a few flowers that had grown in the path, hoping it was ok. At one point, as he leaned down to pick a small wildflower, a large red moth came fluttering down, landing on his finger. It surprised him, but it didn’t fly away when he startled. It just looked at him, with eyes much too intense for an insect, before taking off again.

 Eventually he came across a small clearing. He sat down on the soft grass and yawned. The wind whistled, and James thought he could hear the faint sound of a flute. It was relaxing, and pretty soon James was lying down with his arms under his head. 

But sleep didn’t come. Instead, James eyes snapped open to a face peering down at him. When they realized he was awake, the fae rolled their eyes and leaned back. 

“You really should avoid falling asleep in unfamiliar places, kiddo,” The fae said, not unkindly. They were tall, with light brown skin and pale grey eyes. They would have almost looked human, if not for the shock of white hair and pair of black, feathery antennae growing from their head. 

James scrambled up to match the sitting position the fae was in, breathing heavily to keep calm. They didn’t seem threatening, but he’d already learned that appearances could be deceiving when it came to the fae. 

“Are you Arin?” He asked, cautiously, looking at the fae’s clothes instead of their face. The fae smiled. 

“Close, but not quite. It’s ‘Aeran’. Tricky pronunciation, no sweat.”   James repeated the name under his breath. “So what are you doing in my garden, little one?” James frowned at being called little. He was, probably, twelve! Basically a teenager. But he didn’t tell Aeran that.

“Uh, Pieridae said I needed to get some exercise, and he seemed to think your garden would be a nice place to take a walk. I’m Steller,” He cringed when he realized he hadn’t used Pieridae’s title. Was he supposed to? 

“Ah, yeah, someone mentioned that.” 

“Uh, I’m sorry to ask, but what do you go by?” 

“What?”

“I mean, uh, what are your pronouns?” James didn’t want to admit that he had forgotten the word for a moment. The fae chuckled.

“Whatever floats your boat, kid. But I guess most people call me he. Thanks for asking,” James smiled. He liked how Aeran spoke with little formality. 

“I like your garden.” He said, then hesitated, “Are you a prince too?” Aeran laughed at that.

“Nope,” He replied, sitting down and leaning back. 

“Oh,” James furrowed his brow, thinking. “Why is he a prince if you’re siblings?”

“Oh we’re not related.” Aeran must have noticed the boy’s eyes widen, because he continued, “I’m not one of the Queen’s many,” he paused, “ _ many _ children, but I have a soft spot for our little prince. I wouldn’t mind if we were related.”

“He called you his sibling.” 

“How sweet.”

“Were you playing music earlier?” James asked. 

“I was,” Aeran answered, suddenly sounding hesitant.

“It was very pretty,” James said, but Aeran only grimaced. “Is something wrong?” Aeran hummed. 

“You’ve met the queen, haven’t you, Steller?” James nodded slowly, unsure where the question came from. “Yeah, I heard about your little stunt when you first arrived. Reminds me of myself when I was your age,” James stared at Aeran.

“What?”

“Now don’t go speculating, I’m not some lost human child,” James tried not to take slight offense at that, “But I think we’re in similar boats.” When he didn’t immediately continue, James got impatient.

“What happened?” He asked, anxious to understand what the fae was talking about. Aeran let out a deep breath.

“Her majesty is quite a piece of work. I wasn’t at your trial, but I heard about it. She sure loves traumatizing kids, doesn’t she?” James didn’t know what that word meant, but he didn’t have time to ask before Aeran continued, “When I was eleven, I was already pretty good at what I do. I’m a musician, a bard if you want to be traditional. I tell stories through song and play the flute and dance to entertain others. When I was a little younger than you, I would play outside our home, and people would bring my family and I more food and trinkets if they liked what I was playing. 

“One day, someone I didn’t recognize stopped to hear me play. I didn’t think anything of it, but as I finished my piece, she went up and knocked at our door. She told my mother that the Queen herself had heard of my talent, and that I had been invited to play in her court. It was so exciting! My mother was skeptical at first, but when the courtier announced that my family would receive a reward if I went, well, she practically pushed me out the door,” Aeran let out a faint chuckle at that, but James could tell there was no humor behind it. “The first night was wonderful. I was so young, unused to people cheering for me, and unaware of what was to happen.

“I know your name’s not Steller. You wear it like a mask, or a gift. It isn’t you.” Aeran turned his head away, “If only I’d known that much. Maybe I did know, and I was too wrapped up in the excitement to remember. The queen asked for my name, and I told her,” He said it like it was the simplest thing in the world. Like it had happened the same way that someone loses a nickel in a couch cushion. Like it barely mattered at all. But James could tell by the way the fae’s hands dug into the grass and his shoulders tensed, that he was furious. 

“I woke up the next morning, tired but excited to rush home and tell my family about my wondrous night. But I could not find the exit. I turned back to the courtroom to ask for directions, but was told that the Queen wanted me to play for her one more night. Well, I couldn’t say no, this was the Queen!” He said the title like it burned him. “So I played another night. And another. And another. A week passed, and I felt alone and exhausted, so I stormed up to the queen and demanded to be taken home. I was a child,” He practically hisses that bit, before composing himself again and returning to his cool composure.“Of course, the Queen said no. So I tried to leave myself, and all she had to say was, ‘Aeran, come here,’ and I was suddenly kneeling at her feet.” James was shocked at the uncanny impression of the voice he hadn’t heard in a year, but continued to listen quietly. 

“I think that night was the worst of my life. She didn’t show it, but she was pissed. How dare some little insect try and refuse her? I couldn’t stop dancing, I couldn’t stop singing. Not until the sun set and rose again. Not until my feet were bleeding and my muscles were tight and my throat was raw.” Aeran’s eyes were tired when he turned back to James, but he forced a smile. James felt a hand land on his head in a comforting gesture. James hadn’t noticed how hard he was shaking.

“I’m sorry, little one. I didn’t mean to upset you.” James shook Aeran off. 

“Does she still make you perform?” James asked, almost whispering as if someone might hear him in the otherwise empty garden. Aeran smiles softly.

“Only occasionally. Most of the time I’m left alone. I still can’t leave, though.” He sighs, “So I’m left to my garden. I’m fairly proud of it, you know. The queen hates it. Don’t know why, but, hey, she lets me do what I please. Perhaps she does have a heart, somewhere in there.”

“I’m sorry,” is all the James can think to say. Aeran shakes his head. 

“Don’t apologize for things you had nothing to do with, kid. Save your words for more important things. I am telling you all this to let you know that you are not alone. Pieridae can’t help you, but if I ever figure out how to leave, well, I’d be happy to make a stop by the Prince’s court,” James eyes go wide.

“Really?”

“Hell yeah, I’m all for getting kids back to their parents. And who knows,” He shrugged, “Maybe the human world is meant for me,” James had to admit, Aeran was probably the most human of any of the fae he had interacted with, if you ignored the antennae. He could picture Aeran performing at the live music shows in town that his dad sometimes took him too. He wondered if Aeran would be a better babysitter than Ms.Lisa. 

“Don’t you want to go back to your family?” James asked, and Aeran made an uncertain noise.

“It’s complicated, kiddo. I’d love to see them again but… with the Queen and everything, I don’t know if my family would be happy to see me,” James frowned. He couldn’t believe that. But he didn’t say what he is thinking, for once. Instead, he leaned back to mimic the fae, and they lapsed into a calm silence. 

 

Aeran ended up walking him back to Pieridae’s court. The guards came to retrieve him, but, the musician waved them off, explaining that he could handle it. The guards continued to not emote, and retreated down the hallway. Aeran began humming a gentle, yet upbeat tune, and James finds himself smiling as they walk. 

Soon enough, the wide doors to Pieridae’s room stood before them. 

“Well, I better get going. Have fun with the Prince, tell him I said hey.”

“I will,” He replied, and then watched in surprise as Aeran’s form changed. “It was you!” He cried out in delight at the little red moth that appeared in his place, and got the faint impression that it was laughing at him before it fluttered away. He turned towards the doors, and pushed them open. 

Something hit him in the face, knocking him down. He heard Pieridae yelp.

“Sorry! I panicked!” He heard the prince call, while he was busy rubbing the newly formed bump on his head. He glanced down beside him to see a small box lying next to him. He picked it up, then glanced toward the lake. Pieridae was standing knee deep in the water, a few feet from the edge of the island, surrounded by… floating glass balls? All of the pillows and blankets on the island had been piled together to create a sizeable mound in the middle. 

“Alright, so, I don’t know what balloons are, but! I think I’m getting closer. Sorry, I guess I lost track of time,” Pieridae smiled at James, an expression filled with nervous laughter and hope that James couldn’t help but return it. Pieridae waded out of the water, surprising James when he wrapped the other boy in a tight hug. 

“Happy Birthday, Steller.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't know if I like the last scene too much, but this chapter was already so long I just needed it to end.  
> Aeran is actually a dnd character of mine that I'm repurposing, so I might change his whole deal later.  
> Please give me feedback! This is just a starting draft, and I can't make it better if people don't tell me what they think! Thanks for reading!


	9. What's In a Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James notices how things are changing.  
> Warnings: none that I can think of

James was starting to look different. The only mirror he really had access to was the occasionally still water surrounding their island, but he could tell. His hair was longer, but he didn’t have to look in the lake to see that. The tight curls that used to barely rise from his scalp were now thick and full around his head and down to his shoulders. He wondered what it would look like tied back. He knew Pieridae cut her hair. Maybe she could cut his, though he honestly wasn’t sure how much he trusted her with sharp objects, even if he trusted her with almost everything else. 

His face was leaner. Not much, just the slightest difference. He wondered if anyone else noticed. Pieridae maybe, definitely not the guards. Aeran hadn’t known him long enough. Would his dad notice? 

Pieridae looked different too. She was getting taller. She had always been taller than James, but as time passed the difference increased. Not to mention the crown.

The little tiara that she had been wearing when they first met was still there, but just like Pieridae it had grown. The silver spikes had heightened and curved, and the two at the ends had begun to look like the small antlers of a young deer, though metallic and needle sharp. 

His clothes had changed. He wore fae clothes now. His old hoodie was probably somewhere growing mold. Her clothes, however, like her crown, seemed to literally be growing, the black roots that once only covered her torso now reaching up to her arms and down to her knees. He’d asked about it once.

“Oh I don’t really know. Guess it’s just part of me, you know?” He didn’t. 

He visited Aeran once a week now, at least. He liked being with Pieridae, but the moth fae was always a nice change of pace. He gave off a sense of calm, and while Pieridae didn’t act like stuck-up royalty all the time, it was nice to hang out with someone who didn’t have a title. 

“How old are you?” He asked out of curiosity while listening to Aeran tune a guitar. The faerie hummed. 

“I think I’m eighteen. Holy shit I’ve been here awhile,” James thought about that for awhile, before Aeran mumbled something that caught his attention. “I wonder if it’s slowed for me yet.”

“What?” Aeran looked at him for a moment before realization entered his eyes.

“Oh, no one’s explained time you yet. Yeah, bud, it’s a bit different.”

“ _ What? _ ” Aeran held up his hands.

“Relax, I’ll explain,” Aeran paused for a moment, a pensive expression on his face. “Did you learn about astronomy before you were stolen?” James didn’t respond, “Planets?” James nodded. “Alright so, Earth spins around the sun, and because of the distance it takes three hundred sixty something days to make a year. If we were closer, the years would be shorter,” James nodded, following along. “Ok so think of the Queen kind of like a sun. The closer you are to her, the faster time goes for you. However, the Queen didn’t like the fact that all of her courtiers were dying so quickly, and queens live quite a long time, you know. So eventually, time slows down for us. Fae live quite a long time. You might too.”

Jame didn’t know how to respond to that, so he didn’t. 

 

It was one of these days, when James was staring at himself in the stillness of the lake, thinking about the time he had spent here, when it happened.  He’d been thinking about something for awhile now. 

“I don’t know Steller, what do you think.” Pieridae was showing off some jewelry that someone had given her in exchange for a favor. James only shrugged, barely glancing at the silver bracelets that shined in the dim light.

“I don’t know, they’re pretty I guess,” James mumbled, staring at his reflection. Pieridae noticed and frowned, walking up to James and leaning over him. 

“Steller, what’s up? Come on, keep looking so hard at that and-”

“I’ll grow roots,” James finished. Huh. He hadn’t thought of that rule in a long time. He turned and looked up at the prince. 

“What are you thinking about, Steller?” She said curiously. The human boy twitched. “Steller?” She asked again, worry edging into her voice.

“Why do you call me that?” He asked softly. She cocked her head and her eyes shone.

“Cause you’re stellar, Steller,” She said lightly, but he could still hear the hesitation, “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?” he shook his head, looking back down at his reflection. He felt Pieridae come kneel down next to him. 

“Steller, what’s wrong?” she placed a hand on his shoulder, and suddenly James was sure. 

“James,” He announced. Pieridae’s eyes widened. 

“Steller, what-” 

“James Woodward,” He said it like someone who is sure of very little, but absolutely sure of this, “My name is James Woodward,” Pieridae started to speak up, but James carried on, “and I don’t care if that gives you power over me, and I don’t care if you knowing somehow lets it get back to your mom, and I don’t care if this is all a trick because Pieridae, I,” his voice broke as tears gathered at the edges of his blue eyes, “I’m starting to forget. It’s been so long, now, and I remember most of it; my dad’s face, the house, but I’m losing things. I can’t remember what my sheets felt like, can’t remember the lyrics to my dad’s favorite song, I,” He took a deep breath and paused to get his voice under control. “I don’t want to forget,” He turned fully to Pieridae, grabbing her hands off the ground and looking her straight in the eyes, “Promise me you won’t let me forget,” the thirteen year old boy stared at her, eyes too filled with grief for someone his age. And she stared back, eyes inhuman and unknowable. She squeezed his hand.

“I promise, James Woodward,” She whispered, “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fairly short chapter compared to the others, so I might make it longer in the future, but this is one of my favorite scenes! Name time.   
> Please consider leaving a comment telling me what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> This got like... no attention on tumblr which honestly surprised me so I'm gonna see how it does on here. Thanks for reading!


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